A British artist’s Christmas cards were recently banned from Facebook for having “adult content.”
Adult content? That’s prude-speak for sex.
The banned cards showed a robin, a stag, and a squirrel, none of them doing anything unconventional for Christmas cards, although in fairness these are creatures who, in the normal course of their lives will either have sex or at least try to.
So why the ban? The artist says she didn’t even describe the robin as being a red[gasp]breast, just a robin. She’s tried to get Facebook to reconsider but you can pretty well guess how well that’s worked.
It could be that the decision-making algorithm looked at some of her other cards. One reads, “No / Fucking / Ho.” But that’s not the one she was promoting, Still, thought the algorithm, There’s got to be something wrong with that robin.
The artist has a disabled husband and selling her work is a major source of income, so however funny the ban is, it’s also serious. If you’d like to see her work–or even buy some in the interest of supporting her and annoying Facebook, you can find it here.
And if that link doesn’t work, try this one. It’s her Facebook page, with no robin except where it’s part of an article on this whole flap. The link in the last paragraph worked when I first put it up, then when I checked took me to something completely irrelevant. I’ve corrected it but don’t know how long it will work this time; it’s not just Facebook; Google’s also got it in for this woman.
You couldn’t make it up, could you? (I checked – and it looks like you didn’t :-) )
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You couldn’t. Or at least, I couldn’t, although I sometimes wish I had the kind of mind that could.
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God I hate facebook!
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I guess I’ll have to leave Facebook on the naughty list.
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Appropriate. One of the artist’s designs says, “Santa hates you.” I think it’s a mug, but I wouldn’t swear to that. Maybe she can send them one.
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It seems the the minds (AI?) at FB are doing all sorts of weird things. An Author friend of mine (Andra Watkins) is having similar difficulties with her posts being hidden and held for a King’s ransom.
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What? If she pays them, they’ll let them through?
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Yes, but she’s indie and if I understand, she’s paying them the equivalent of her profit, which wasn’t always the case.
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Oh good lord. And I have to wonder if she’ll get enough back from it to make it worthwhile.
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It’s not worthwhile for her and she’s trying to navigate around FB, but is having some challenges with alternatives. Her three books are great and her 4th is due out in a month or so.
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I wish her well. Publicizing a book is a real battle.
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Yet another reason why FB stinks. I hope they don’t ruin Instagram.
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I’m so clueless about Instagram that I doubt I’ll notice if they do.
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It’s true the cards with the stag, the robin and the squirrel don’t have any sexual content, but I really wouldn’t want the others popping up at me on FB. I’ll admit to being a bit old-fashioned about what I like to see on Christmas cards and naked women don’t even appear on the list.
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As I understand it, those weren’t the ones she was promoting on Facebook–just three very neutral, traditional ones. Surely an artist’s range shouldn’t limit where she can promote her more conventional work.
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The article said there were a number of cards including the three animal ones. I assumed the others were some of the more risque ones on her site.
It’s all good publicity for her anyway.
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I missed that–the article was so broken up by ads, and the internet here has been so slow, that my reading was seriously broken up. Still, the impression I got was that the cards were pretty neutral. Anyway, you’re right: It is good publicity.
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Good mercy. These are troubled times we live in.
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Isn’t it good to know Facebook’s protecting us from the real dangers?
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Or maybe it’s the Russian Trolls who are “protecting ” us.
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These days, who knows?
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I’ve always had a decidedly negative opinion of FB. In way back times I signed on and came across a ‘friend’ posting about changing a diaper! That pretty much ended it for me. Just recently I emailed a friend commenting about an attachment she had sent and Google interrupted my attempt to ‘send’ by asking if I had forgotten to attach said attachment. Very creepy feeling to think that every word I type is being monitored. Perhaps I’m getting to an age of curmudgeonhood, but this trend just feels so wrong.
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I don’t know details, but I heard a radio news snippet about a couple of academics who were able to do a personality profile from a single Facebook page like, and it was accurate enough to boost the effectiveness of targeted ads. It’s enough to make you want to crawl into bed and pull the covers over your head.
I was just emailed an ad for discounted jeans. I was about to click the link when I remembered I have enough jeans. I’m telling you, they’re inside our heads.
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Reblogged this on Praying for Eyebrowz.
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I reblogged this. Here’s hoping she’ll sell some cards. I’ll check out the link, as well!
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Wonderful. There’s a kind of spiteful pleasure in doing that, isn’t there?
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Indeed.
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Even more amazing when you think what does appear on FB. I suppose the squirrel is gnawing his nuts
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Bad squirrel. Bad, bad squirrel.
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I am so over Facebook! There are truly some vile people on Facebook and they never get banned, this is just pure silliness!
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Good point. I never did get into it very far. The first post I ever saw was someone saying she was eating broccoli and somehow it didn’t seem like something I needed to know.
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Reblogged this on Lolsys Library.
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I just tried to visit it to leave you a thanks but the page doesn’t seem to be there. On the other hand, thanks anyway–I still appreciate it.
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I accidentally went to post it, but I wanted to write something else on it as well >.< I pressed the wrong button!lol
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I’ve done that sort of thing. Oddly enough, putting up a post to explain it boosted my stats.
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Once banned, always banned? Seems that way here. FB can be the judges and the jury, here.
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As machines take over more and more thinking-related jobs, I suspect we’re all going to be arguing with algorithms soon. And we’re going to lose.
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Well said. I’m afraid you’re right.
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So I read the article and I see why Facebook banned her… That Robin is voluptuous and naked!… horny algorithms pfft…
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Naked?????????? What was she thinking?
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I have no words really – how ridiculous. Thanks for bringing this to our attention and sharing the artist with us at #BloggersPitStop
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And as always, thanks for the work you all do to keep the pit stop going.
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Reblogged this on Its good to be crazy Sometimes and commented:
While funny this has a very serious undertone
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Thanks for the reblog. I appreciate it.
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Not a problem :)
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Gotta love Facebook. Russians in, robins out.
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I hadn’t thought of it that way, but now that you bring it up….
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What. The. Fuckity. Fuck.
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I know.
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